The critical hit landed. Ais looked ready to throw her gauntlet in his face and challenge him to a duel on the spot.
Fortunately, Riveria had the good sense to drag her back to the group by force, ignoring her struggles. She exchanged a few words with Finn, then led Ais out of the hall ahead of the others.
What Leon didn't notice was the discreet glance Riveria cast at the staff in his hand before she left.
"Friend, I'm sorry our Ais caused you trouble. And forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. Finn Deimne. Just Finn is fine."
As Riveria hauled Ais toward the exit, Loki Familia's captain, a golden-haired pallum, walked up with a smile.
The top of his head barely reached Leon's waist, but Leon wouldn't dream of underestimating the Brave.
"It was just a joke, Captain Finn. Don't worry about it."
"That's kind of you. And your name?"
Finn extended his hand as he asked.
Leon shook it and smiled.
"Nobody worth remembering. Leon Hart, Demeter Familia."
"Demeter Familia? A pleasure. If you ever have the time, I'd like to chat."
"Anytime, Captain Finn."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Leon watched the Loki Familia procession disappear from sight before turning back.
He found his friends staring at him with odd expressions.
"You sly bastard, you've been holding out on us. You know Lady Riveria from Loki Familia? She's the most revered figure in our entire race. When did that happen?"
Luvis hooked an arm around Leon's neck, grinning.
"It's nothing. We crossed paths once at a tavern. I'm as surprised as you that she'd remember a low-rank adventurer like me."
Leon shrugged, genuinely puzzled. He couldn't figure out how she'd recognized him when he was wearing a hood, cloak, and mask.
The little scene drew a crowd, but it dispersed soon enough.
Leon said his goodbyes to Luvis's squad and slipped away. The last thing he wanted was more attention.
...
Elsewhere.
At Loki Familia's home base, Twilight Manor, a property Loki had just purchased on credit, the Familia's three leaders sat talking in the reception room.
"Riveria, you know that young man?"
The conversation drifted to the incident at Babel.
Riveria stood by the window, watching Ais swing her sword over and over in the courtyard below, and nodded.
"We met briefly at the Hostess of Fertility. He mentioned the One-Eyed Black Dragon, and Ais overheard. You can imagine the rest."
The dwarf stroked his beard, perched on a stool comically small for his frame, and nodded.
"The Black Dragon... Can't blame Ais for reacting that way."
Finn sat behind his desk with his fingers laced and pressed against his chin, doing his best Gendo Ikari impression.
"It's not just Ais, though, is it? You seemed interested in him yourself. If my eye hasn't gone bad, he's only Level 1?"
The unspoken meaning was clear: a regular Level 1 adventurer, unless there was something special about him, shouldn't warrant Riveria's attention at all.
And he was right. Up close, Riveria had noticed Leon's staff.
"His weapon is impressive. Like you said, for a Level 1 to carry a staff of that caliber, he's either a very talented mage, or his Familia has serious resources. Possibly both. I'd guess the last one."
"Spotted a promising youngster and got a little excited?"
"A mage? No wonder you noticed him."
Finn and Gareth exchanged a look and nodded.
In Orario, mages were always in short supply, and a non-elf mage was rarer still. Anywhere in this world, any mage would be treated as a priority asset and nurtured accordingly, no matter which Familia they belonged to. Even Evilus was no exception. So Riveria paying a bit of attention to Leon was only natural.
"Alright, back to business. How's the Dungeon intel report coming? Once it's compiled, we need to go over it with Loki and start assigning missions. That deadline's coming up fast."
...
...
Meanwhile, Leon walked home oblivious to the fact that his low profile, cautious habits, and a little help from his cheat had once again let him slip under the radar of Orario's heaviest hitters.
He couldn't really blame Finn and the others for misjudging him. Even Freya had been fooled by his act, and if the Goddess of Beauty couldn't see through him, what chance did the Brave have?
He turned things over in his head as he walked.
The Floor Boss, Goliath, had been killed again barely two weeks after its last death, taken out the instant it respawned.
If I had to guess, the Floor Boss on Floor 27, the two-headed dragon Amphisbaena, probably didn't survive them either.
Classic Loki Familia. Their obsession with the Dungeon runs deep. At that rate, they'd probably kick a stray dog in the Dungeon just for being in the way.
Leon shook his head with a dry laugh, then turned his thoughts to Soma Familia's recent activity.
Those small-timers being that bold means they're definitely in bed with Evilus and the gray-market factions, maybe even running one of the smuggling routes. They're liquor dealers. Of course they've got shady channels. Birds of a feather and all that.
Everyone knew alcohol occupied a special niche in Orario, especially divine wine. What Soma considered a failed batch was still one of the most tightly controlled substances in the city.
The fact that Soma Familia could move divine wine past the Guild's iron grip and into outside circulation spoke to their connections.
Should I report them?
Leon weighed the pros and cons and decided to leave it alone for now. There was nothing in it for him or his Familia.
What would reporting get him? The way he saw it, the deal was all risk and no reward. He'd gain nothing and paint a target on his back.
The people inside Evilus weren't pushovers. Poking that hornet's nest for zero reward was asking for trouble.
"My job is to look out for the Familia. Everything else can wait. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up."
He filed the thought away without a shred of guilt.
When he was strong enough to fish in those troubled waters and come out ahead, that's when he'd put it back on the agenda.
Speaking of Evilus...
His mind drifted to an earlier encounter.
That Evilus grunt I ran into when I found the Great Sacred Tree Branch. Their warehouse for contraband and restricted goods should be somewhere near District 7. Once I'm a bit stronger, Jeanne and I can raid that hideout. Could be a windfall.
He'd had his eye on Evilus's assets for a while now. If he weren't worried about getting in over his head, he wouldn't have waited this long to investigate.
He took a deep breath and pushed the thought down.
A glance at his pocket watch, and he picked up the pace toward home.
...
...
Dusk. A fine drizzle.
Hart Familia's base. Leon's house.
Four women stood in the courtyard, staring at each other.
Aura and Laurier wore expressions caught somewhere between shock and disbelief. Jeanne looked thoughtful, as if something had occurred to her but she couldn't quite confirm it.
So the standoff held.
Compared to Aura and Laurier's confusion and Jeanne's guarded wariness, the blue-haired woman across from them seemed perfectly at ease, a gentle smile on her fair, delicate face as she looked the three of them over with unhurried interest.
That was the scene Leon walked into when he pushed open the courtyard gate.